Released February 24, 2022 • hobby box includes 18 packs with 10 cards each, 180 cards total • click here for checklist on Trading Card Database
My review:
I considered 2020-21 O-Pee-Chee to be a small, relative let-down, but Upper Deck gets the product firmly back on track with a great 2021-22 release. A lot of that has to do with the return of a lively, colorful, and fantastic design on the retro parallel set. The flavor of funky old-school designs is totally captured in the retros, even in a design that does not directly mimic any specific design from the past. The base cards themselves are solid, though I’m a little confused why Upper Deck has totally eliminated color from OPC base card designs for many years in a row now since that choice does not seem to be inspired by classic OPC/Topps designs of the past. The various colored border parallels (blue, red, and a new neon green) of the base set are markedly more attractive than the white base.
Hobby only playing cards inserts are back yet again, this their sixth straight year in O-Pee-Chee. And as usual, they are stunners. Part of me is ready for O-Pee-Chee to move on from the playing cards, but they remain super cool at the same time. One change is the pack odds of pulling Jacks, Queens, and Kings, which have previously been equally as common as card numbers two through 10. Now, though, the overall pack odds for Jacks, Queens, and Kings is 1:34, which makes each individual face card equally as rare as the Aces (1:102) and Jokers (1:203).
O-Pee-Chee Premier “Tallboys” inserts are back for a second consecutive year. (They aren’t actually any taller than standard cards, just more narrow.) This year’s design is slightly more interesting than last year’s overly plain look, but they remain a little staid in my opinion. 35 of the top veterans make up the regular prints, while five rookies are short-prints and 15 sophomores get “Rookie Update” super short-prints.
Upper Deck continues their strong run of mixing nostalgia with the new in 2021-22 O-Pee-Chee. As always, it is not the product to look to for autographs or big money hits, but if you’re looking for a nostalgia kick and lots of fun, there’s nothing better.
My ratings /10:
base design 7.6 retro design 9.0 inserts 8.1 overall 9.0
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Regular Print Base Cards #1-500
Short Prints #501-600 • 1:1.5 hobby packs
Marquee Rookies #501-540, Rookie Season Review #541-550, Team Checklists #551-581, League Leaders #582-590, Season Highlights #591-600
40 rookie cards are included, and there is a strong core group with lots of potential, namely Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Cole Caufield, Jeremy Swayman, Quintion Byfield, Tanner Jeannot, and Spencer Knight.
Rookie Season Review is a newly introduced sub-set that features a look back at ten top rookies from the 2021 season.
Retro parallels • 1:1 hobby pack
Other Parallels:
retro black border • serial numbered to 100, expect 1.4 per hobby box
retro blank backs • unannounced, estimated print run of 5-15, expect 1 every 8 hobby boxes
neon green border • serial numbered to 50, expect .7 per hobby box
blue border • 1:3 hobby packs
red border • 1:18 hobby packs
red border blank back • numbered 1/1
printing plates • numbered 1/1, there are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black plates for every base card and every retro card, expect one every 9.5 hobby boxes
Inserts:
Tallboys • regular print, 1:5 hobby packs, short print, 1:52 hobby packs, super short print, 1:35 hobby packs (it looks odd that SSPs are easier to pull than SPs, but it is because there are five SPs and 15 SSPs)
Tallboys yellow border • blasters only – regular print, 1:4, SP, 1:39, SSP, 1:26
Tallboys Patterned Rainbow Foilboard • regular print, 1:298 hobby packs, SP, 1:3,120 hobby packs, SSP, 1:2,080 hobby packs
Playing Cards • 2-10, 1:6 hobby packs, Jacks-Kings, 1:34 hobby packs, Aces, 1:102 hobby packs, Jokers, 1:203 hobby packs
Manufactured Patches • overall odds, 1:72 hobby packs, there are different tiers
Platinum Preview • unannounced, includes base cards as well as eight parallels
#1 Draft Pick Puzzle Redemption • 1:96 hobby packs
Rookie Phenoms Set Redemption • 1:2,160 hobby packs
Marquee Rookies 3-D • unannounced
Tallboys Full-Size • unannounced
base variations—jersey, black & white, head shot, pre/post game, logo • unannounced, click here for a guide from Beckett
Update Set #601-650
For the ninth straight year, O-Pee-Chee update cards are inserted into Upper Deck Series 2. 10 veterans and 40 rookies comprise the update, and the rookie crop is headlined by Cole Perfetti, Cole Sillinger, Anton Lundell, Moritz Seider, Mason McTavish, and Lucas Raymond.
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